Ms Johnston said Mr Driver had not asked permission to film the meeting.

"I was asking him to stop what he was doing because we needed to get on," she said.

"I am sorry about the language but there are times when someone like Ian needs the most robust confrontation."

A petition signed by 7,700 people supporting the compulsory purchase was handed to the council on Thursday night.

An extra room was set aside for campaigners to watch the debate.

According to Thanet Council, Mr Driver refused to leave when he was asked to do so by the chairman and the council's security. He also insisted he would only leave if escorted off the premises by police, they said.

Risks of purchase

A Thanet spokeswoman said the council's constitution had been followed when the Green councillor was thrown out.

She said that as Mr Driver "continued to behave improperly, the chairman then moved, and again council agreed, that the member leave the meeting".

She said Thanet District Council films all its full council meetings, which are published on its website.

The council will hold an extraordinary cabinet meeting on 17 July to discuss buying the airport.